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Browsing by Author "Schaudt, William A."

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
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    Development of a Performance Specification for Camera/Video Imaging Systems on Heavy Vehicles
    Wierwille, Walter W.; Schaudt, William A.; Spaulding, Jeremy M.; Gupta, Santosh K.; Fitch, Gregory M.; Wiegand, Douglas M.; Hanowski, Richard J. (United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008-07)
    This document provides revised final performance specifications for Camera/Video Imaging Systems (C/VISs) used in heavy vehicles. The specifications are based on a combination of analyses including driver needs and human factors, current and future video technology, systems analyses, focus groups, preliminary tests, and formal on-road tests. In these specifications C/VISs are divided into two categories: surrogates, which take the place of the essential side mirrors, and enhancements, which are all other applications. The specifications are written in three parts: an introductory section defining terms and stating general requirements, a section providing detailed specifications for two surrogate configuration concepts and nine enhancement concepts, and a section providing additional common detailed specifications. The specifications are intended to serve as a culmination of best approaches and practices for development of viable C/VISs. It is expected that if the specifications are followed, they will result in feasible and reasonably uniform implementation, thereby making the heavy vehicle driver's task more efficient. For background information and research justification of the specifications, the reader is referred to the companion final report, Development of a Performance Specification for Camera/Video Imaging Systems on Heavy Vehicles, DOT HS 810 960 (Wierwille, Schaudt, Spaulding, Gupta, Fitch, Wiegand, & Hanowski, 2007).
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    Development of Hazardous Materials (HM) Shipper Prioritization Program: Technical Brief
    Marinik, Andrew; Schaudt, William A.; Daily, Brian; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Hanowski, Richard J. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2009-02)
    The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) developed the Hazardous Materials Package Inspection Program (HMPIP) to focus on inspecting individual shipments at the roadside or on carriers’ docks. One output of this program is a resulting dataset that can be used to develop a performance-based prioritization of HM shippers for inspection. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) was tasked to review, document, and recommend improvements to the HM Shipper Prioritization Program. As part of that effort, VTTI developed software titled the HM Shipper Prioritization Application (HMSPA) that was beta tested in a sample of states with existing shipper programs. The purpose of this report is to provide documentation on the development process and the final HMSPA design that was completed by VTTI.
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    Draft Final Report: Development of Hazardous Materials (HM) Shipper Prioritization Program
    Schaudt, William A.; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Marinik, Andrew; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Trimble, Tammy E.; Hanowski, Richard J. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2009-02-28)
    In the mid-1990s, an attempt was made to develop a performance-based prioritization for Hazardous Materials (HM) shippers. During this attempt it became apparent that there was insufficient performance data to develop such a system. In response, FMCSA developed the HM Package Inspection Program (HMPIP) to focus on inspecting individual shipments of HM at the roadside or on carriers’ docks. Due to the improvements made over the years to the package inspection data collected during HMPIP inspections, HM incident data, and improved departmental data identifying companies involved in shipping HM, FMCSA has begun a second effort to develop a performance-based prioritization of HM shippers. The purpose of the current project was for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to review, document, and recommend improvements to FMCSA’s HM Shipper Prioritization Program. This project consisted of six major tasks, all of which were successfully executed by VTTI. After the kick-off meeting and the successful completion of a detailed work plan, a peer review committee was formed. Members of the peer review committee were to participate in two peer review meetings during the course of the project. The purpose of the first peer review meeting was to have the study methodology and data collection techniques reviewed by the committee. The purpose of the second peer review meeting was to review the study findings and conclusions. Another major step in this project was to review and examine the current Hazardous Materials (HM) Shipper Prioritization Program, which included two distinct prioritization algorithms, and to develop software titled the HM Shipper Prioritization Application (HMSPA). HMSPA was then beta tested in states with existing shipper programs. The focus of these onsite tests was usability testing with potential end users. Both subjective and objective data were collected by way of questionnaires and performance tasks. All results were very positive indicating that the beta version, with minor modifications based on user recommendations, should move forward into a fully functioning application for FMCSA.
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    The Drowsy Driver Warning System Field Operational Test: Data Collection Methods: Final Report
    Hanowski, Richard J.; Blanco, Myra; Nakata, Akiko; Hickman, Jeffrey S.; Schaudt, William A.; Fumero, Maria C.; Olson, Rebecca Lynn; Jermeland, Julie; Greening, Michael; Holbrook, G. Thomas; Knipling, Ronald R.; Madison, Phillip (United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008-09)
    A Drowsy Driver Warning System (DDWS) detects physiological and/or performance indications of driver drowsiness and provides feedback to drivers regarding their state. The primary function of a DDWS is to provide information that will alert drivers to their drowsy state and motivate them to seek rest or take other corrective steps to increase alertness. The system tested in this study was the Driver Fatigue Monitor (DFM) developed by Attention Technologies, Inc., which estimates PERCLOS (percent eye closure). The primary goal of this field operational test (FOT) was to determine the safety benefits and operational capabilities, limitations, and characteristics of the DFM. The FOT was conducted in a naturalistic driving environment and data were collected from actual truck drivers driving commercial trucks. During the course of the study, 46 trucks were instrumented with a Data Acquisition System (DAS). Over 100 data variables such as the PERCLOS output from the DFM and driving performance data (e.g., lane position, speed, and longitudinal acceleration) were collected. Other collected measures included video, actigraphy, and questionnaires. The FOT had 103 drivers participate. Drivers were randomly assigned to either control (24 drivers) or experimental groups (79 drivers). The data collected include the following: approximately 46,000 driving-data hours; 397 load history files from 103 drivers; approximately 195,000 hours of activity/sleep data; questionnaires from all drivers; fleet management surveys from each company; and focus group results collected from 14 drivers during two post-study focus group sessions. The focus of this report is the description of the data collection procedures.
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    Enhanced Rear Signaling (ERS) for Heavy Trucks: Phase III – Development of Field Operational Test
    Schaudt, William A.; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Trimble, Tammy E.; Medina, Alejandra; Bocanegra, Joseph L.; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Marinik, Andrew; Wierwille, Walter W.; Hanowski, Richard J. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2010-09)
    The Enhanced Rear Signaling (ERS) for Heavy Trucks project was directed at investigating methods to reduce or mitigate those crashes where a heavy truck has been struck in the rear by another vehicle. Prior to the current effort, two phases of work had been completed on this project. The purpose of the current effort, Phase III, focused on exploring the benefits of the countermeasures developed in previous phases, and to develop a plan for a large scale Field Operational Test (FOT). During crash database analyses in the current project it was found that, in 2006, there were approximately 23,500 rear-end crashes involving heavy trucks which resulted in 135 fatalities and 1603 incapacitating injuries. Many different types of ERSs were investigated in this study across both the auditory and visual modalities. Visual warning signals were found to be the most beneficial at signaling following-vehicle drivers (more specifically rear warning-light configurations). The research team recommended that one specific configuration be selected for real-world data collection based on its high performance and the potential success of future design implementation. Overall, the final radar-based cautionary ERS system was robust in real-world driving conditions and is recommended for an FOT.
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    Establishing a Methodology to Evaluate Teen Driver-training Programs
    Trimble, Tammy E.; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Schaudt, William A.; Schrader, Taryn (Wisconsin. Department of Transportation. Library and Research Unit, 2013-11)
    The goal of this research project was to develop a methodology to assist the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) in the evaluation of effectiveness of teen driver education programs over the short and long terms. The research effort was divided into two phases. Phase I focused on the development of an evaluative methodology that was based upon a review of the relevant literature and Wisconsin-specific policies and available data sources. This review culminated in a program assessment tool focused on four contributing areas of teen driver training and education: 1) Guardian Involvement, 2) Driver Education and Training Curricula Requirement, 3) GDL Coordination, and 4) Instructor Qualifications. The proposed methodology was presented to the Project Oversight Committee and was validated through two rounds of pilot testing using materials provided by programs and schools under the oversight of both WisDOT and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The resulting methodology informed the Phase II implementation plan recommendations. Work products included within this report are an annotated bibliography, a knowledge base documenting best practices and Wisconsin-specific data source, a methodology that may be used to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of driver-training programs as they relate to the demonstrated safety and behavior of teen drivers in Wisconsin, and a three-phase implementation plan.
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    Evaluation of Light-Vehicle Driver Education Programs Targeting Sharing the Road with Heavy Vehicles: A Case Study Analysis
    Baker, Stephanie Ann; Schaudt, William A.; Joslin, Spencer; Tidwell, Scott; Bowman, Darrell Scott (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2014-10-16)
    The purpose of this case study project sponsored by the National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence (NSTSCE) was twofold. First, researchers investigated current light-vehicle driver education programs that contain components on sharing the road with heavy vehicles and developed a supplemental practices document on key sharing-the-road information that teachers could cover with students. Second, a case study was performed with a light-vehicle driver education program in a single state that only included a basic textbook-based component on sharing the road with heavy vehicles. Two components were introduced into different driver education classrooms and evaluated in comparison with the basic textbook-based component. The first component introduced was updated material in the form of a DVD developed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance titled Teens and Trucks. The second component introduced was a hands-on truck experience program developed by NSTSCE researchers. Each classroom of students that received one of the components was invited to take part in a survey two months later and knowledge retention of key learning points (e.g., heavy vehicle No-Zones) was measured. Focus groups were also conducted with students to explore learning preferences related to driver education, understanding of key sharing-the-road information, and ratings of the various components. The mean percentage of correct responses for all survey questions was calculated and compared across the three conditions and did not show a statistically significant difference in knowledge retention of any one condition over another. Further analyses were performed to evaluate each survey question individually across conditions. Results found only one statistically significant difference: the textbook and truck condition outperformed the textbook condition regarding the proper front No-Zone distance. Although only one survey question analyzed for knowledge retention resulted in a statistically significant difference, students and teachers found the supplemental DVD and truck hands-on demonstration to be helpful, in particular the truck experience. The conclusion would seem to be that if a truck and driver are available teachers should try to include a truck hands-on experience when teaching sharing the road with trucks. Students are likely to find it helpful and preferable to just reading about sharing the road in their textbook.
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    Expanded Research and Development of an Enhanced Rear Signaling System for Commercial Motor Vehicles
    Schaudt, William A.; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Stone, Scott R.; Perez, Matthew C. (United States. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology, 2014-04)
    The purpose of the current study was to further develop and refine the prototype Enhanced Rear Signaling (ERS) system that was developed during the previous Phase III effort. Expanded development efforts for the ERS system included modification of the system into a unit designed for simple commercial motor vehicle (CMV) installation, collision-warning activation refinements, and rear lighting brightness adjustments for nighttime conditions. During the ERS system development process, the team successfully completed necessary modifications for improved CMV installation. Formal closed test-track and real-world testing were then performed to determine the ERS system collision-warning activation performance. Ultimately, the ERS system performed with a 100 percent correct detection rate and an 85.43 percent correct rejection rate during real-world testing. During all ERS system activations, no unsafe following vehicle driver reactions/behaviors were observed, indicating a promising system for follow-on research. A nighttime brightness level was selected at the conclusion of a ratings study and carried on into nighttime real-world testing. During ERS system nighttime activations, there were also no unsafe following-vehicle driver reactions/behaviors observed. Overall, the research team found that the ERS system is ready for further evaluation in a field operational test (FOT).
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    Field Evaluation of Alternative Automated Systems for Reducing Illegal Passing of School Buses, DTNH22-00-07007, Task Order 1
    Hanowski, Richard J.; Spaulding, Jeremy M.; Gaskins, Charla; Schaudt, William A.; Miller, Steven; Holbrook, G. Thomas; Olson, Rebecca Lynn; Dingus, Thomas A.; Hickman, Jeffrey S.; Huey, Richard; Llaneras, Eddy E. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2007-03-27)
    The overall objective of this research was to develop a prototype system that would automatically detect and record vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses. There were four primary steps in meeting this objective: (1) determine the feasibility of developing and implementing a prototype system using advanced technology that would automatically document the identity of drivers and their vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses; (2) if feasible, build a prototype unit; (3) design and conduct a proof-of-concept field test to determine system adequacy, including its accuracy and reliability; and (4) develop a set of recommendations for further development, research, and demonstration of the approach in an operational field setting. The objective of the second part of the research was to refine the initial system that had been developed in the first part.
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    A survey of light-vehicle driver education programs to determine the prevalence of curriculum on sharing the road with heavy vehicles: final report
    Baker, Stephanie Ann; Schaudt, William A.; Freed, J. C.; Toole, Laura (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2011-12-01)
    Light-vehicle driver education programs that contain content about heavy-vehicle operation may be helpful in reducing light-vehicle/heavy-vehicle interactions. However, it is unclear as to the extent of current state curricula requirements, content, and perceived effectiveness (for both public and private programs) regarding heavy-vehicle operation and associated light-vehicle driving recommended procedures. This project involved the development of an online survey targeted at instructors and/or administrators of individual state driver education programs to identify current curricula addressing heavy vehicles (or lack thereof) and perceived effectiveness. Also, an attempt was made to locate driver education curricula and/or manuals from every state to better understand if instructors in every state have access to information on how light vehicles can safely share the road with heavy vehicles. -- Report website.
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    Vehicle-width Measurement Technology Development: Phase I Technical Memorandum
    Marinik, Andrew; Trimble, Tammy E.; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Bryson, Jared; Schaudt, William A.; Bowman, Darrell Scott (Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research, 2011-08)
    The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) was tasked with investigating the feasibility of developing a vehicle-width measurement and alert system to reduce over-width violations in Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) work zones. A two-phase approach was developed to investigate the measurement system feasibility. During Phase I, the focus of the current report, VTTI first generated design criteria with support from stakeholders (i.e., the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research [VCTIR] and VDOT). Next, researchers and engineers assessed existing vehicle-width measurement systems against these criteria to determine design gaps, and then explored solutions (e.g., new technologies) to these design gaps. Identified potential solutions were then tested on the Virginia Smart Road. In the end, VTTI developed a preliminary system architecture for a vehicle-width measurement system. Based on the findings of this research effort three recommendations are offered to guide future development of a vehicle-width measurement system.